Edmonton Market STRONG

Edmonton, July 3, 2009: At the mid-point of the year, the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton is confident that the local real estate market has regained stability. The 9,741 sales of residential properties sold through the Multiple Listing Service® in the first six months surpassed the six month year-to-date figure for last year (9,567) and residential sales in June set a new record for the month. Residential sales in June totalled 2,552 units which surpassed the 2007 record of 2,203 units sold and was the third best month for unit sales in MLS® System history.

“Buyer confidence, especially among first time buyers, was evident in Edmonton despite lingering economic concerns in other markets,” said Charlie Ponde, president of the REALTORS® Association of Edmonton. “When mortgage rates looked like they might start to rise, many potential buyers locked in lower mortgage rates and then went searching for a qualifying home.”

Listing activity slowed slightly from last month (down 0.03%) with 3,179 residential listings. The strong sales drove the sales to listing ratio to 80% from 68% last month. Prices continue to climb with one month increases of 0.6% for single family dwellings and 1% increases for condominiums. The average* SFD sold for $369,859 in June as compared to $367,672 in May or $351,870 on January 1. Condominiums sold for $247,071 on average in June; up from $244,734 in May and $234,286 at the start of the year. At the end of 2008 Q2, SFDs sold for $381,384 and condos sold for $262,365.

“Last year prices fell from the high point in March. This year prices have just continued to climb,” said Ponde. “Prices typically decline slightly in the second half of the year but the drop, if it occurs, will not be precipitous.”

The average days on market was 60 days or more early in the year but dropped to 49 in June; another indicator of buyer enthusiasm. At the end of June there were 6,785 residential properties active on the MLS® System (2.65 month supply at current sales volumes) which offers a wide range of choice for those eager buyers.

* Average prices indicate market trends only. They do not reflect actual prices, which vary from house to house and area to area. For information on a specific area, contact your local REALTOR®.